LTSS Newsletter—October 2021

Next LTSS webinar: Abuse of AI/AN Elders and Vulnerable Adults, November 3, 2021

 

American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports SOLUTIONS Technical assistance for culturally competent care October 2021   LTSS Technical Assistance Center Visit the online LTSS TA Center for videos, best practices, toolkits, a resource library, and a step-by-step planning roadmap.     Addressing social isolation among elders Staying socially connected can improve both physical and mental health. That’s why the National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA), recently launched its Connected Indigenous Elders campaign to address loneliness and social isolation. Funded by a grant from CDC Foundation, NICOA’s new campaign provides tips and resources to help elders and their caregivers feel fulfilled and less lonely. The campaign also includes several public service announcements highlighting the positive impact of social connections on health and well-being.           Keeping facility residents socially connected               A recent CMS webinar, Keeping Tribal Elders Connected – Real Stories from the Front Lines, discusses different ways of helping elders in nursing homes and assisted living facilities stay socially connected. Watch the webinar or download the slides (PDF, 2.2 MB, 39 pp) to learn more about: Best practices to combat social isolation among tribal elders Strategies to improve elders’ quality of life               Improving vaccination rates in long-term care The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine have entered a 5-year, $10.5-million agreement to improve vaccination coverage rates in senior living and long-term care settings. The agreement’s goal is to increase the number of residents and staff who receive routine adult vaccinations against diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, and shingles. New deadline for UIOs to participate in NUENAS 1.0 The deadline to complete the Native Urban Elder Needs Assessment Survey (NUENAS 1.0) has been extended to June 30, 2022. The Coalition on Urban Indian Aging (CoUIA) is conducting the survey to learn more about the health and wellness of Native elders who live in urban settings. Urban Indian organizations (UIOs) that participate in NUENAS 1.0 will receive a $250 honorarium and up to $2,500 in incentives for elders who complete the survey. Once the survey’s results have been collected and analyzed, each participating UIO will be given: Infographics providing snapshots of their data A customized comparison of their data with aggregated tribal and national data A report summarizing the results of NUENAS 1.0 To learn more about the survey, email CoUIA or visit CoUIA’s website.

 

Join the conversation on LinkedIn Want to learn more about or discuss LTSS in Indian Country? Looking to connect with others working in the same field? Join the Tribal Affairs Group on LinkedIn.

 

Upcoming webinar

 

Abuse of AI/AN Elders and Vulnerable Adults: What LTSS Program Staff Should Know Wednesday, November 3, 2021   This webinar is designed to teach long-term services and supports (LTSS) program staff about abuse and exploitation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders and vulnerable adults. Attendees will learn more about the signs of abuse, relevant investigating agencies and their responses, and prevention efforts. Learning objectives: Understand the impact of elder abuse on AI/AN communities Identify signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation Name relevant investigating agencies and how to file reports with them Please note your location's call-in time: 8 a.m. Hawaii 10 a.m. Alaska 11 a.m. Pacific 11 a.m. Arizona 12 p.m. Mountain 1 p.m. Central 2 p.m. Eastern Have questions for our presenters? Let us know before the webinar by emailing ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com. Register now. Presenters Jolie Crowder, PhD, RN, MSN, CCM Senior Program Director International Association for Indigenous Aging Kendra Kuehn, MSW Research and Policy Analyst International Association for Indigenous Aging Hallie Bongar White Executive Director/Attorney at Law Southwest Center for Law & Policy Dean, National Tribal Trial College Executive Director, SAFESTAR   Caregiver’s corner   RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council’s report “About 1 in 7 of us is serving as a family caregiver at any given time, and more than two-thirds of us can expect to need assistance with some tasks as we age.” – Alison Barkoff, Acting Administrator, Administration for Community Living, RAISE Family Caregivers Act Initial Report to Congress The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregiving Advisory Council’s goal is to evaluate and document the experiences and unmet needs of family caregivers. Their September 2021 Report to Congress (PDF, 2.87 MB, 148 pp) provides extensive recommendations to better support family caregivers within 5 priority areas: Awareness of family caregiving Integration into processes and systems from which caregivers have been traditionally excluded Access to services and supports to assist caregivers Financial and workplace protections for caregivers Better, more consistent research and data collection to facilitate the development and dissemination of policies and interventions to help caregivers   RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council logo   Funding opportunities   State and National Public Health AmeriCorps funding Applications due: November 8, at 5 pm eastern Learn more about this funding opportunity Federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply for Fiscal Year 2022 AmeriCorps State and National Public Health AmeriCorps funding. The funds help tribes increase their capacity to advance equitable health outcomes and provide workforce development and training. AmeriCorps may award any successful applicant a cost reimbursement of up to $28,800 per member service year.   Send us your news Do you have news to share about LTSS in Indian Country? Send it to ltssinfo@kauffmaninc.com, and we'll include it in a newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too. About the newsletter American Indian/Alaska Native Long-Term Services and Supports Solutions is published monthly by the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs to share information, funding opportunities, and resources with LTSS planners, tribal leaders, and supporters.